Toronto man allegedly steals a Sea-Doo and illegally crosses Canada-U.S. border

A watersports rental company in Sarnia, Ont., lost one of its Sea-Doos on the weekend when the man who rented it failed to return. He is believed to have taken it to Michigan, which is just a few hundred metres away on the American side of the St. Clair River.

Sarnia police say they received a call on Saturday night at 9:40 p.m. regarding a missing person. “A male party, identified as Romeo Bajrami, had rented a Sea-Doo with cash at 6:45 p.m. with a scheduled return time of 7:45 p.m. and had failed to return,” police said in a statement.

Taylor Gordon, president of Gordons Watersports in Sarnia, told National Post that the renter had used a debit card for his transaction but also plunked down $500 cash as a deposit on the rental.

That money is now forfeit, Gordon said, “unless he wants to come back to Canada, come back and see us, but he has a warrant out for his arrest in Canada for stealing a Sea-Doo.”

Sarnia Police confirmed they have issued an arrest warrant for Bajrami, aged 40, of Lakeshore Road in Toronto on a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.

The renter paid for the “Sea-Duo and Dine” package, which includes dinner for two at the dockside restaurant, plus an hour on the Sea-Doo. “He brought the staff the second meal that was provided to him,” Gordon said, adding: “They didn’t eat the meal.”

He added that the renter was in contact with the staff at his company. “Until he wasn’t.”

“He was late, he said he was just 10 minutes behind, and then he spoke with the staff again and had another excuse, and then after that there was no communication,” Gordon said. “That’s when the staff called the authorities.”

Sarnia Police alerted nearby agencies of the man’s disappearance. “At this time officers suspected possible theft or intentional disappearance due to forfeited deposit and evasive behaviour,” they said. The Canadian Coast Guard, Sarnia Fire and nearby Point Edward Fire were all involved to conduct a marine search of the St. Clair River near the rental establishment.

“A search of these waterways (Canadian side) was unsuccessful,” police said. CBSA and Toronto Police were also notified.

Then, shortly after midnight, the U.S. Coast Guard located the Sea-Doo on the American shore south of Sarnia. “With the Sea-Doo was a shirt that Bajrami was last seen wearing, a life jacket, and keys to the Sea-Doo,” police reported. “It is believed that Bajrami was successful in conducting an illegal border crossing. U.S. Customs and Immigration were notified and are investigating this incident.”

Taylor said the U.S. Coast Guard still has the Sea-Doo. “They said give them a few days and then they’ll contact us to pick it up,” he said. “We don’t know what shape it’s in it yet but we’ll see and then we’ll go from there.”

Taylor said this is the first time something like this has happened in the four years that Gordons Watersports has been in business.

“We tell renters where the invisible border line is and to stay on Canadian waters and definitely do not cross the border into the States,” he said. The distance between the two countries is quite small, just a few hundred metres across the St. Clair River between Sarnia and Port Huron, Michigan.

The case is reminiscent of one just a few days earlier, when police in LaSalle, Ont., opposite Detroit, Michigan, noticed a a man at the water’s edge with two backpacks and a kayak.

“The officer investigated and discovered the man was attempting to illegally enter Canada,” police said . A 51-year-old from the U.S. was turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

For Gordon, however, “this is definitely a first, a first and a last, that’s what we’re hoping. It’s been an eventful and a little stressful weekend for us but we’re trying to make the best out of the horrible situation.”

Indeed, the Facebook page for Gordons Watersports is playing up the lighter side of the affair. A post on Tuesday morning included the line “catch waves, not warrants,” and reminded renters to “keep it fun and legal,” adding: “Gordons Watersports — where the only thing you’ll be crossing is the wake.”

It also thanked “our staff, border control, and law enforcement for their quick action in … this very rare case of an illegal entry to the U.S.”

By Tuesday afternoon an additional post invited visitors to answer the question: “Why did Romeo cross illegally?” It suggested “To find his Juliet,” “Audition for Fast and Furious Sea-Doo Drift” and “Heard Tim Hortons was out of Timbits.” Best answer gets a $50 gift card.

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